Drawer suspension

ABSTRACT

A suspension system for a cabinet or the like having at least one drawer comprising upper and lower rollers on each side of the drawer with a cable having both ends affixed to the cabinet (directly or indirectly) threaded in front of the upper roller and in back of the lower roller on each side, each of the cables being under tension, and an adjusting means for each of the cables comprising a block slidable in a direction parallel to the length of the cable, one end of the cable affixed to the block, and a screw means adapted to cause the block to move in its direction of motion and to maintain the block in the position to which it has been moved, whereby the tension on the cable can be adjusted. A track in the foregoing device mounted immediately beneath the lower roller and extending in the direction of movement of the drawer and so positioned as to be in support relationship with the lower roller when the tension in the cable is insufficient to support the lower roller and the drawer without assistance.

United States Patent lnventor Philip Frederick Brooklyn, N.Y. Appl. No. 807,291 Filed Mar. 14, 1969 Patented May 18, 1971 Assignee Supreme Equipment 8: Systems Corp.

DRAWER SUSPENSION 6 Claims, 3 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl 312/330, 312/215, 312/219, 312/273 Int. Cl A47b 88/00 Field of Search 312/330, 331,221,319,273, 109, 110,215,219; 108/57 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 941,168 11/1909 Nelson 312/110 4/1968 Frederick et al 312/319X Primary ExaminerJordan Franklin Assistant Examiner-G. V. Larkin Attorneys-Harry C. Bierman, Jordan B. Bierman and Bierman and Bierman ABSTRACT: A suspension system for a cabinet or the like having at least one drawer comprising upper and lower rollers on each side of the drawer with a cable having both ends affixed to the cabinet (directly or indirectly) threaded in front of the upper roller and in back of the lower roller on each side, each of the cables being under tension, and an adjusting means for each of the cables comprising a block slidable in a direction parallel to the length of the cable, one end of the cable affixed to the block, and a screw means adapted to cause the block to move in its direction of motion and to maintain the block in the position to which it has been moved, whereby the tension on the cable can be adjusted.

A track in the foregoing device mounted immediately beneath the lower roller and extending in the direction of movement of the drawer and so positioned as to be in support relationship with the lower roller when the tension in the cable is insufficient to support the lower roller and the drawer without assistance.

ill b l Nn W07 i WWW l/IH DRAWER SUSPENSION The present invention is directed to certain improvements in cabinetry, more specifically, to improvements in office filing cabinets.

Filing cabinets of the rollout type have been known for many years. The drawers of such cabinets have been provided with various forms of suspensions permitting movement into and out of the cabinet for access. The prior art devices suffered from many faults. They often bear very heavily on the supporting track mechanism especially when fully loaded. When this happens, friction increases and the drawer becomes difficult to open or close. Moreover, there is a tendency to gouge the bearing surface of the track and thereby increase the friction still further because of the resultant roughness.

These devices suffered from a further deficiency in that a drawer could be pulled out beyond its intended point'and thereby fall out of the cabinet together with consequent possible injury to the operator. This was particularly true where the drawer was heavily loaded. The clerk would sometimes carelessly pull open the drawer too hard and too fast and the inertia of the loaded drawer would carry it over the intended stopping point.

The foregoing problems are ameliorated somewhat by a form of cable suspension. In this case the drawer in fact suspended by a cable fixed at both ends to the cabinet and threaded overan upper roller on one side of the drawer and under a lower roller on the same side of the drawer. A second cable is similarly placed on the opposite side. The drawer then hangs on the cable and does not bear against either the cabinet or a track or runner. However, this modification suffers from the disadvantage that the cable gradually stretches and the fit becomes increasingly sloppy to the point where the drawer may scrape against the inside of the cabinet or the drawerimmediately below.

Moreover, a good hard pull on a heavily loaded drawer might cause the cable to slip off of the roller, especially if the cable had previously been stretched.

It is among the objects of the present invention to provide a suspension means which permits easy movement of the drawer even when heavily loaded.

It is also among the objects of this invention to provide a suspension means which will not cause undue stretching of the cable. It is further among the objects of this inventionto provide a suspension means which is capable of easy adjustment in the event that the cable should become loose.

It is also among the objects of this invention .to provide a suspension means having a positive stop therein so that the drawer cannot be pulled outwardly beyond its intended stopping point;

In carrying. out the objects of this invention there is pro vided a drawer in a cabinet suspended by two cables, each fixed at both ends to the cabinet and being threaded over and in front of an upper roller and under and behind a lower roller on each side of the drawer. At least one end of each cable is mounted on a block which is slidable in the same direction as the axis of the cable itself. A screw means is affixed to-the frame and/or the track and is threaded into the block. Turning the screw causes the block to move along the axis of the cable in either direction. Thus when the cable has become slack, a few turns of the screw will cause the block to slide in a direction increasing the tension and thereby taking up the unwanted slack. Similarly, if the cable is too tight it can be loosened by turning the screw in the opposite direction.

Additionally, the suspension means includes a track fixed to the inside of the cabinet and extending generally in a direction parallel to the motion of the drawer. The track is spaced apart and directly beneath the lower roller when the drawer is empty or in the retracted position. There are, of course, two tracks, one beneath each lower roller, and the distance between them and the corresponding lower rollers is such that when the drawer is heavily loaded or in a very extended position, the resilience of the suspending cable permits the roller to rest on the track itself and thereby gain additional support. This permits the minimum friction in the movement of the drawer sinceit contacts the tracks only when necessary. At the same time, the additional support given by the tracks minimizes the cable stretching.

In order to prevent overriding of the stopping point for the drawer, at least one of the lower rear sides thereof is provided with a dependent bumper stop which is adjacent to, but preferably spaced horizontally inwardly from the track. At the desired stopping point there is a corresponding flange upstanding from the track and in alignment with the bumper stop. Thus when the drawer reaches the stopping point, the bumper stop will be bearing against the flange. This will bring the moving drawer to an approximate stop and prevent it from being overextended since the only way a stop of this character can be overridden is by a bending or breaking of the track or bumper stop metal itself. It is fairly easy to make these items of sufficiently strong material so as to substantially preclude any likelihood of this happening.

In the accompanying drawings constituting part hereof, in which like reference characters indicate like parts,

FIG. 1 is a perspective view, partly broken away and partly diagrammatic, showing one form of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective exploded view, partly broken away and partly diagrammatic, showing a modification of the invention used in connection with a different type of cabinet and drawer;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view along a line 4-4 of FIG. 2 with the track shown in assembled position and some parts omitted for clarity.

Referring more specifically to FIG. I, the cabinet 1 consists of inner walls 2 and drawer 3. Drawer 3 has a front wall 4 and sidewalls 5.

Mounted on sidewalls 5 are upper rollers 6 and lower rollers 7, adapted to freely rotate about their respective axes. In the preferred form of the invention both upper rollers 6 are mounted ona single axle so that they are forced to turn together. The same is true of lower rollers 7. This prevents or at least minimizes any tendency of the drawer to skew.

Cable 8 is fastened to the cabinet at 9, passes over pin 26, goes around upper roller 6 on the upper forward side, passes around lowerroller 7 on the rear lower side, and extends forward to a point adjacent the forward end of the cabinet. At this point cable 8 is fixed at 11 to block 12 into which is threaded screw 13. Block 12 may be provided with guiding means if desired.

A further refinement of this form of the invention is the provision of roller 15 mounted on flange 27 of track 10 adjacent the forward end thereof. This provides a bearing point for the forward portion of drawer 3 when it is in the retracted position. In view of the fact that roller 15 is freely rotatable it provides virtually no friction or resistance to the motion of the drawer.

Thus when access to the contents of drawer 3 is desired, it is simply pulled out of the cabinet, opening an accessway to the person using the device. In the course of moving the drawer outwardly, rollers 6 and 7 move forward and cable 8 passes under roller 7 and over roller'6. Roller 7 touches flange 27 of track 10 very lightly if at all unless the drawer is heavily loaded.

With regard to the form of the invention shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the cabinet 1 is similarly provided with internal walls 2. The drawer 3 has sides 5 carrying upper rollers 6 and '7. Cable 8 is threaded therearound and one end is fastened at 20 and the other end passes over guide 28 and is affixed at 16.

The filing compartment itself is defined by rear wall 23, the floor 22 and ends 24'. As is known in the art, a plurality of dividers (not'shown) may be inserted at desired distances from one another by inserting them into slots 25 in rear wall 23 and bottom 22.

The entire drawer operates basically the same way as the embodiment of FIG. I. The pairs of rollers 6 and 7 are each connected by an axle 30 thus insuring that they both turn equally.

Depending from sides 5 near the rear thereof is bumper stop 19. In the preferred form of the invention as shown in the drawings, sides 5 are offset inwardly from ends 24. Similarly, bumper stop 19 is offset from ends 24,

Upstanding flange 18 is mounted on track l0 and so positioned as to be in alignment with stop 19. In the embodiment shown in the drawings, flange 18 is offset from portion 29 of track by the same amount as is stop 19, Therefore, when drawer 3 is pulled to its forwardmost position, stop 19 will bear against upstanding flange 18, thereby preventing any overriding beyond this point. Clearly, for best results a pair of flanges l8 and a corresponding pair of stops l9 are provided, one on each side of the drawer While only a limited number of specific embodiments of this invention have been described, it is nontheless to be broadly construed and not to be limited except by the character of the claims appended hereto.

lclaim:

1. ln a suspension system for a cabinet comprising a drawer slidably mounted in said cabinet, said drawer having a first side and a second side, a first upper roller and a first lower roller, each mounted on the first side, a second upper roller and a second lower roller, each mounted on the second side, a first cable fixed at one of its ends to the cabinet, said first cable passing in front of said first upper roller and in back of said first lower roller, a second cable fixed at one of its ends to the cabinet, said second cable passing in front of said second upper roller and in back of said second lower roller, the other end of the first cable being fixed to a first block, the other end of the second cable being fixed to a second block, means for causing each of the blocks to move axially of said cables and to maintain each block in moved position whereby the tension of the first and second cables can be adjusted.

2. A system according to claim I wherein said means comprises a screw having a head and a threaded portion, said head being fixed relative to said cable, said threaded portion engaging complementary threads in said block.

3. A suspension system comprising a cabinet, at least one drawer in said cabinet, said drawer having a first side and a second side, said drawer being adapted for movement into and out of said cabinet, a first upper roller and a first lower roller each mounted on said first side, a second upper roller and a second lower roller each mounted on said second side, a first cable having its ends fixed relative to said cabinet, said first cable passing in front of the first upper roller and in back of the first lower roller, a second cable having its ends fixed relative to said cabinet, said second cable passing in front of the second upper roller and in back of the second lower roller, a first track mounted on said cabinet immediately beneath said first lower roller, a second track mounted on said cabinet immediately beneath said second lower roller, said first and said second tracks extending in the direction of said movement, said tracks assisting their respective cables in supporting said respective lower rollers when the tension in said respective cables is insufficient to support said lower rollers and said drawer by itself.

4v A system according to claim 3 further including a flange mounted on or adjacent at least one of said tracks, a corresponding stop on at least one of said sides, said stop being in alignment with said flange whereby the drawer is limited in its forward motion by contact between the stop and the flange.

5. A system according to claim 4 wherein a first flange is mounted on the first track and a second flange is mounted on the second track, a first stop is mounted on the first side and a second stop is mounted on the second side, said first stop and said first flange being in alignment, and said second stop and said second flange being in alignment.

6. A system according to claim 4 wherein said stop on said side is positioned adjacent the back of the drawer and said flange on said track is positioned near the front end of said track. 

1. In a suspension system for a cabinet comprising a drawer slidably mounted in said cabinet, said drawer having a first side and a second side, a first upper roller and a first lower roller, each mounted on the first side, a second upper roller and a second lower roller, each mounted on the second side, a first cable fixed at one of its ends to the cabinet, said first cable passing in front of said first upper roller and in back of said first lower roller, a second cable fixed at one of its ends to the cabinet, said second cable passing in front of said second upper roller and in back of said second lower roller, the other end of the first cable being fixed to a first block, the other end of the second cable being fixed to a second block, means for causing each of the blocks to move axially of said cables and to maintain each block in moved position whereby the tension of the first and second cables can be adjusted.
 2. A system according to claim 1 wherein said means comprises a screw having a head and a threaded portion, said head being fixed relative to said cable, said threaded portion engaging complementary threads in said block.
 3. A suspension system comprising a cabinet, at least one drawer in said cabinet, said drawer having a first side anD a second side, said drawer being adapted for movement into and out of said cabinet, a first upper roller and a first lower roller each mounted on said first side, a second upper roller and a second lower roller each mounted on said second side, a first cable having its ends fixed relative to said cabinet, said first cable passing in front of the first upper roller and in back of the first lower roller, a second cable having its ends fixed relative to said cabinet, said second cable passing in front of the second upper roller and in back of the second lower roller, a first track mounted on said cabinet immediately beneath said first lower roller, a second track mounted on said cabinet immediately beneath said second lower roller, said first and said second tracks extending in the direction of said movement, said tracks assisting their respective cables in supporting said respective lower rollers when the tension in said respective cables is insufficient to support said lower rollers and said drawer by itself.
 4. A system according to claim 3 further including a flange mounted on or adjacent at least one of said tracks, a corresponding stop on at least one of said sides, said stop being in alignment with said flange whereby the drawer is limited in its forward motion by contact between the stop and the flange.
 5. A system according to claim 4 wherein a first flange is mounted on the first track and a second flange is mounted on the second track, a first stop is mounted on the first side and a second stop is mounted on the second side, said first stop and said first flange being in alignment, and said second stop and said second flange being in alignment.
 6. A system according to claim 4 wherein said stop on said side is positioned adjacent the back of the drawer and said flange on said track is positioned near the front end of said track. 